Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane© AFP
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the pitch at Eden Gardens in Kolkata during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane commented about the lack of ‘home advantage’ for his side and reports claimed a rift between the team officials and Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee. Following the loss against Lucknow Super Giants, Rahane once again hinted at the lack of advantage in a sly dig at the curator. However, GT COO Colonel Arvinder Singh believes that there should not be any controversy surrounding the surface and even sided with the pitch curator.
“Look, the rules and regulations on this are very clear and not just from this season. They have been clear right from the very beginning. The rules of the game are very clear and they are common for everybody. No franchise has any right to say,’ I want this kind of a pitch. ‘ That’s not something that the rules allow you to do,” he told Times of India.
“The home advantage has to stem from the fact that that is your home. You are supposed to know those conditions better than anybody else who’s coming, because that is where you play most of your games, where you practice. So from that perspective, if you are looking at a home advantage, well, why not? You deserve all the home advantage that you can take.”
“To say that I need home advantage because I want this kind of a pitch. Sorry, I don’t think that cuts any ice with anybody,” he added.
Earlier, when pressed further, Rahane took a veiled attack on the curator Sujan Mukherjee who had earlier said he does not pay heed to any home team requests.
“Jo hamare curator hai, unko bahut publicity mila. I think he’s happy with that publicity. Home advantage ke baare mein aapko jo likhna hai, aap likh sakto, jo laga. (Our curator has got a lot of publicity. I think he’s happy with that publicity. You can write whatever you feel like about the home advantage).” “If I have any concern, I would probably convey it to the IPL rather than speaking about it here.”
(With PTI inputs)
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